Page 126 of The Devil's Chaos

“Promise me that no matter what happens, no matter what my father or brother do, we'll face it together. That you won't shut me out or push me away in some misguided attempt to protect me.”

Kai's jaw clenched, and I saw the war raging behind his eyes. His every instinct screamed at him to lock me away somewhere safe, far from the incoming storm. But he also knew me, knew that I would never sit idly by while he risked his life.

“I promise,” he said, at last, the words heavy with reluctance and resolve. “We're in this together, little lamb. Until the end.”

I smiled tremulously as I blinked back the sudden sting of tears. “Until the end,” I echoed.

Kai pulled me closer as he tucked my head beneath his chin. I listened to the steady thrum of his heartbeat, and I let it lull me into a sense of peace.

“Sleep, my love,” he murmured while he pressed a kiss to my hair. “I'll keep the demons at bay tonight.”

Wrapped in his embrace, I let my eyes drift closed and succumbed to the pull of slumber. And that night, I slept without nightmares.

51

FIFTY-ONE

HAVEN

The room was bathed in a warm glow, courtesy of the gentle sunlight that filtered through the curtains. I hummed contentedly as I sank deeper into what I thought was his warm embrace.

Excepthisembrace was cold and fluffy, not the warmth I longed for.

My eyes shot open to find me cuddling with his pillow and not the love of my life. The emptiness of the bed beside me had me sitting up as I clutched the pillow to my chest while I scanned the room for any sign of him. His clothes were gone from the floor where he’d tossed them carelessly the night before. The only trace of his presence was the faint scent of his cologne that lingered on the sheets.

I glanced over at the clock on the nightstand.

6:08 p.m.

What the fuck? Had I really slept all day?

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, and my heart raced as a sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Padding barefoot across the hard floor, I grabbed a robe from the bathroom and headed toward the door to find where he had runoff to. When I opened the door, two guards stood in the doorway to block my path into the hallway. Their stern expressions and rigid posture told me they weren’t there for a friendly chat.

The taller one on the right spoke first, “I’m sorry, Miss, but we are under strict orders to keep you in your room until Mr. Montgomery returns.” His voice left no room for argument.

But I wasn’t one that backed away—not when Kai was involved.

“What’s going on? What do you mean, until he returns? What happened?” I demanded.

The guards exchanged a glance before the shorter one spoke. “Please, Miss Benson, we can’t say anything more.”

“No, fuck that! Where is he?” I yelled as I attempted to push past them, but they stood firm. Their hands gently but firmly pushed me back into the room.

“I'm sorry, Miss, but you can't leave,” one of them said, his voice low and authoritative.

“What do you mean I can't leave?" I demanded, my voice shook with a mixture of fear and anger. “Where is he? What have you done with him?”

The guards’ expressions were unreadable. “He's gone, ma’am. He left early this morning and instructed us not to let you leave until he returns.”

I felt my knees buckle beneath me, and I clutched the door frame for support. “Gone? What do you mean gone? Where did he go?”

I attempted to push past them once again.

The taller guard caught my arm firmly to halt my progress. "Miss Benson, please calm down. We're only following orders."

I yanked my arm free as I glared at them both. “I don't care about your orders! I need to know where the fuck he is and what's going on. Now.”

They remained silent, their expressions impassive. Frustration bubbled up inside me and threatened to spill over. I took a deep breath to try and regain some semblance of composure.

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